Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 5, 2015

Jan. 9, 2015

Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere releases troubling video of laying hens at Northern California farm that supplies eggs to Whole Foods and Organic Valley; owners of Petaluma Farms claim group is distorting conditions under which its eggs are raised; incident raises questions over whether such video footage can be misleading. MORE

Nov. 19, 2014

Boris Akimov, Russian founder of organic farm cooperative LavkaLavka, hopes ban on food imports from the West will boost Russia's fledgling farm-to-table movement; Akimov found himself flooded with requests from grocery chains after Pres Vladimir Putin imposed ban in retaliation for Western sanctions. MORE

Sep. 29, 2014

Agriculture Dept plans to announce that it will spend $52 million to support local and regional food systems like farmers' markets and food hub and to spur research on organic farming. MORE

Jul. 26, 2014

Small fast food chains are making a splash in the restaurant industry by offering enticements like grass-fed beef, organic produce, sustainable seafood and menus that change with the season; all are thriving, despite higher costs and prices, and are planning national expansions. MORE

Jul. 12, 2014

Comprehensive review of earlier studies to be published in British Journal of Nutrition finds substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, vegetables and grains compared with conventionally grown produce; findings stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health. MORE

Jun. 4, 2014

Increasing demand for organic, fair-trade and artisanal items among middle-class Indians is fueling growing industry of upscale dairy farms that promise better, safer milk; India’s dairy industry has only recently started buying into belief that happier cows breed healthier milk, and potentially bigger profit, even as animal has long been revered in country. MORE

Apr. 10, 2014

Walmart plans to announce that it is putting its muscle behind Wild Oats organic products, owned by Yucaipa Companies, offering the label at prices that will undercut brand-name organic competitors by at least 25 percent; move is likely to send shock waves through the organic market. MORE

Mar. 9, 2014

Closer examination of farm bill signed by Pres Obama reveals nation's agricultural policy is increasingly more friendly to organic farmers, fruit growers and hemp producers with emphasis on locally grown, healthful foods that appeal to broad base of constituents; while traditional commodities subsidies were cut by more than 30 percent to $23 billion over 10 years, funding for fruits and vegetables and organic programs increased by more than 50 percent over same period, to about $3 billion. MORE

Jan. 25, 2014

Two dozen organic farmers from United States and Canada share decades worth of stories, secrets and anxieties at week-long conference at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Calif. MORE

Dec. 17, 2013

Whole Foods Market is opening stores and looking for local suppliers in smaller cities like Boise, Idaho, part of its ambitious effort to expand to 1,000 stores from just 300 in 2011; shoppers say stores, which feature organic food, have raised bar for local grocers; company's stock is trading at heady highs. MORE

Dec. 10, 2013

Study appearing in journal PLoS One finds that whole milk from organic dairies contains far more of some fatty acids that contribute to a healthy heart than conventional milk; is strongest example yet of organic food offering nutritional advantage over conventional counterpart. MORE

Aug. 1, 2013

Tara Smith, former marketing and sales executive, quit her job in 2008 to buy 300-acre farm in Petaluma, Calif, despite knowing nothing about raising crops and animals; successes of her biodynamic Tara Firma Farms enterprise have grown along with her knowledge. MORE

Jun. 30, 2013

Several services on Long Island bring organic and locally grown food to those who would love to frequent farm stands but do not have time (Metropolitan/Long Island). MORE

Feb. 19, 2013

Elizabeth A Harris The Appraisal column notes that businesses promoting 'organic' and 'natural' products and services have blanketed affluent Manhattan neighborhoods, unofficial markers of gentrification in New York. MORE

Jan. 1, 2013

Dr Evodia Setati research in journal PLoS One finds that grapes from different parts of the same vineyard can be quite different because their surfaces harbor different types of yeast microbes; such variations, which can affect wine flavor, are most present in biodynamic farms, which use a specialized type of organic farming that includes fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives. MORE

Dec. 26, 2012

Chicken farms like Bell & Evans in Pennsylvania are using oregano-based products as substitutes for antibiotics, but research on their effectiveness is scant and many health care experts remain skeptical; sales in United States of organic meat, poultry and fish were small part of food market in 2011, totaling $538 million. MORE

Oct. 16, 2012

Debate has erupted in response to two studies, conducted at Newcastle University in England and Sanford University, comparing organic fruits and vegetables to conventionally grown produce; Newcastle researchers found that organic produce was more nutritious, whereas the Stanford study debunked its nutritional advantage; MORE

Oct. 4, 2012

More Hong Kong residents are growing their own food as they grow increasingly worried about safety of fruits, vegetables, meats and processed foods coming from mainland China; concern is also driving demand for organic food. MORE

Sep. 27, 2012

Common Ground Country Fair, organized by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association in Unity, Me, is a grand celebration of organic food and the harvest season. MORE

Sep. 17, 2012

Letter from Ingrid E Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, comments on the Sept 9 Nicholas D Kristof Op-Ed column on an organic dairy farm's success. MORE

Sep. 14, 2012

California ballot measure to require labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients is putting organic brands like Kashi, owned by Kellogg, at odds with their owners, who are spending millions of dollars to defeat the initiative; consumers are peppering the sites of large food companies with expressions of betrayal and disappointment; uproar highlights difference between large organic brands and smaller, independent businesses and farms. MORE

Sep. 9, 2012

Recent Stanford University study, which cast doubt on the value of organic food, has led to confusion for shoppers figuring out what to eat and underscored divisions about the importance of federal organic standards even as interest in healthier, more natural food continues to rise. MORE

Sep. 9, 2012

Nicholas D Kristof Op-Ed column highlights the success one of his high school friends has had with his dairy farm since he switched to organic production and began withholding antibiotics from his cows; contends that the dairy farm shows that food need not come at the cost of animal or human health and welfare. MORE

Sep. 4, 2012

Stanford University researchers conclude that fruits, vegetables and meat labeled organic are, on average, no more nutritious than their conventional counterparts and are not any less likely to be contaminated with dangerous bacteria. MORE

Jul. 8, 2012

Large corporations dominate in the $30 billion-a-year organic foods industry; Eden Foods founder Michael J Potter maintains big companies have co-opted the industry and have too much say over what ingredients can be used in organic foods; big businesses argue that huge demand requires a scale that only they can provide. MORE

Jul. 2, 2012

Rising popularity of farmer's markets across the United States, alongside an aging farm population and a looming shortage of migrant workers, is shifting the dynamics of the agriculture business; analysts say mass-production farms may begin to lose their price advantage over locally grown food, especially as small organic producers band together and attract funding from big investors. MORE

Feb. 23, 2012

Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch, who run the organic Four Season Farm in Penobscot Bay, Me, describe how their business continues to thrive with the use of movable greenhouses, known as hoop houses, to grow vegetables into the cold months. MORE

Dec. 31, 2011

Americans are buying more foods labelled organic, but organic products are increasingly grown with extensive use of chemicals and imported from far-off locales; environmentalists criticize trend but support the positive effect 'organic' farming has had in Mexico and other poorer countries; some organic standard setters are beginning to refine their criteria so that organic products better match their natural ideals. MORE

Dec. 30, 2011

There is a shortage of organic milk across the country, and as sales increase consumers can expect sharp price increase starting in January 2012; cost of organic grain and hay to feed cows has gone up sharply while the price that farmers receive for their milk has not. MORE

Oct. 13, 2011

Many eco-conscious consumers are cutting their spending on green products, finding it difficult to justify buying more expensive household items and organic foods in today's bad economy. Tips on making homemade cleaners and chart comparing prices of environmentally friendly and standard household products noted. MORE

Fran Free faced a classic start-up dilemma: She needed to ramp up production to realize economies of scale and reduce her costs, but she lacked the large contracts that would allow her to raise the capital to do so.